Snap lock pickup finger for harvester reels



July 22, 1952 R. w. KEENE Y SNAP LOCK PICKUP FINGER FOR- HARVESTER REELS Filed July 5, 1950 INVENTOR Ralph ZHKeene ATTORNEYS ArbE iei QiiJii -iit. i.Steely iii ii jj j co ni g. (01.56 499 7 This invention 1 pertains in general 'to'ia' proved pick 'up fingerffort harvester"reels. 'It'i'is a prime object of 'thi'sinv'ention" to provide a."novel', detachable pick-iup finger j for 'h'ar vester'r'eels, the finger being'snap 'locked to en'-' gagei'the'same on the bat-bar; and quick detach able' from'the'latteri'"' Another important object of the'invention' provide a. pick-up "finger which can be engaged on 'a bat-bar, of a harvester reel: without" the end of 'the'reel; one of such bat-bars being I'IIIdl usei'of any special tools'and withno morethan a'fsiinple 'manipulation 1 of snap-tog'ether"'parts"of thepickupfingery the same being form'ed' from a'sirigle'length of spring steerwi'reof heavy gauge: 'A further object of the'invention" is"to-'pro-' vide a'pick-up finger, asabove, which-includes a downwardly"- opening; initially open; Uj-shaped yoke adapted to' straddle the bat-bar'irom above;

one shank of the yoke mergingat'it's' lower end with a transverseaxis 'coil spring-and the lower end 'o'i'fthe other 'shank' being formed withacatch finger'adapted to-snap-hook irr'the coil'spring after theyoke is straddled OVerabat-bai'; r "'A still-further object--of the inventioniis to provide a pick-upfinger which-includesa-novel arrangement forpreventing lateral displacement of the pick-up-fingersalong the corresponding batbar; this arrangement being downwardly opening notches in" the bat-bar into which the transverseaxis coilsprings of the corresponding pick-up fingers engage from below.-- a

It is also an object of the invention to provide a snap-lock pick-up finger for harvester reels 'which is designed'for'easeand economyof' Still} another -object-of the invention to 'providea 4 practicaland reliable snap-lock pick-'up finger for harvester reels, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pick-up reel bat-bar showing a plurality of the snap-lock pick-up fingers as mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the pick-up fingers, detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the snaplock pick-up finger is adapted for use on a harvester reel of the type which includes circumferentially spaced bat-bars extending from end to being shown at 3. Eachsecuring'filip shaped and straddles *the' rod 2 "an being"riveted'to the latter; as at4? f i i' "The bat' barfl', including the metalifadZf,is" fitted; 'at longitudinally spacedpoints; with' snap loclr'butquick-detachable pick-upfingers; indie cated generally at 5. l "These pick-up' fingers' 5" 'embody"the"present invention, and as each finger isidentical, a de" scription or one willsuflice; Each pi -up finger 5 is formed with a single length of heavy-gauge spring steel'wire and'com prises a clamping yoke; "indicated generally alTGQ which yoke is of elongated; inverted 'U shape'; and comprising; at the top a half loop- T 'of 'an,

inside diameter no greater than the'outsidej'dil amet er off themetal rod 2. The halt loop I con-f nectsthe upperends oi shanks 81'an'd 9which initially extend downwardly in slightly diverging" t Mu; ..L.; l. .1, 1; 4.. I

At its lower-end the shank; '8' "rnerges *with atransverse axis 'singl e lo'opcoil -spring 1'n-; and the -other end-"of said spring "mergesfwith i v j Dnd ing springtinefi l of substant l--leng'th: 1 t its lower end {the shank "9 isiform'ed witlr'a. laterally proj ecting hook'or catch finger-l Za'vhich" springin V IN 'Ifhe abovedescribed =spring*fi nger is naplocked on the bat-bar-I; in the followinggmannerr "Firstly, the-initially open clamping yoke B is" engaged over-thebat-bar I- with the=-halfloop I spanning over the metal rod in close engagement therewith.

With the clamping yoke 6 thus straddling the bat-bar I, the transverse axis. coil spring I0 is engaged, at its upper portion, through a downwardly opening notch I3 in the lower edge portion of the bat-bar l. Thereaftenthe shank 9 is manipulated laterally and inwardly, placing it under tension, and so that the hook or catch finger I 2 may be snap-locked through the coil spring III. in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

With the hook or catch finger I2 so snaplocked with the coil spring It), the half loop I frictionally bites the metal rod 2, and the shanks 8 and 9 lie in close contact with opposite faces of the bat-bar I. See Fig. 2.

As so clamped in place, the pick-up finger is eflectively maintained in proper position on the 1 is normally free; jand -"slig'htly' "ahead. {of the coil during operation of the reel.

To release each pick-up finger 5 from the bat: coil spring rram one side thereof, and a spring tine depending from the end of the coil spring bar I requires only disengagemeritof the-"hook.

or catch finger l2 from the coil spring l0, whence the shanks 8 and 9 may be pulled apart and the; clamping yoke 6 slipped off said bat-bar.

The described pick-up finger isvery practiear and reliable, for the reason that it can be readily snap-locked on a bat-bar, or quick-detached therefrom; yet when in place being firmly and efie'c'ti'vely'" maintained in place. H

From the foregoing description it willbefeadily seen that fil'ife l, has been produced such a device as substantially. fulfills the objects of the inventiori, as st'lfo'r'th here n.

l'ijile-this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred bnstrueticr of the device", still in practice such deviations from such detail may e resorted to as do not fo'rm a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims: J

Having thus described the nvenpi'cngi e following" is claimed as' new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent al'i desiredf 1. A snap-lock, quick d'etacliable pick-sem g'er' for: a; ha vester peer bat-bar). comprising a single .lengtli of spring s'teelwirefberit to form an inverted U- -Shapd clamping ye i'e; s'aid yere:

includingopposed shanks connected at the top by" a half loop','a transverse-axis .coil spring'onthel'ower end" of'one shank, there being a spring tine depending from said coil spring at the end thereof opposite said'one shank, and a hookonthe lower end of the other shank adapted to snap-engage through said coil spring.v

2'. Asnap-lo'ck,quick detachable pick-up finger ijor aharves'te'r reel bat-bar, comprising. a single length'o'fl spring. steel wire bent to form arr-ins; verted U'-shaped clamping. yoke-said yoke including. opposed shanks connected; at-the top by a half loop, a transverse-axis coilspring q the lower end of one shank, there being a springtine depending fromsaid-coil springatthe end there of opposite said one shank, and ahookv on the lower efido'fith other shank'adapted toysnap- 5 engageftiireugh-fseid coil 7 spring; the shanksof 4 the inverted U-shaped clamping yoke initially diverging in a downward direction.

3. In combination with a bat-bar of a harvester reel, a snap-locked but quick-detachable pick-up finger comprising a single length of Spring steel wire, an inverted U-shaped clamping yoke including opposed shanks connected at their upper ends Joy-a haltloop, said clamping yoke straddling tliebat-bai'; f-i onfi. above} a} transverse-axis coil spring on the lower end of one shank extendin beneath the bat bar, a hook on the lower end of the opposite shank snap-engaged through said opposite said one shank.

4. A combination, as in claim 3, in which the a downwardly opening notch, and the coil spring projecting at the top into and through said notch; the hook engaging through a portion of said coil spring immediately adjacent said notch.

5. In combination with the bat bar or a new: vester reel wherein said bat-bar is" borderedl b its'iipper ed'g'wi'th a metal rod, 2. snap-locked but quick-detachable pick-up finger compris' an inverted, vertically elongated U-shap'e'd' clam ing yoke straddling said bat-bar from above,jsaid c ampin oke including apposed depen in shanks c h ec'te i at their up er" ends bye hair 1ep,'uc1i half 1601} Straddling the metal rod,- 5 transverse-axis coil spring on the' lower end of one shemiextenqm beneath the bat bar} a hooli' approach each other upon thehook being snap-.

locked with the eoi-l spring, the half loop frictionally. binds onsaid metal rod.

R'ALPH w;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordthe file of this patent: 1

UNITED ST ES ATENTS N b 'f N n e-.13 41,740 Drake eb. 23 is g 319,631 Sellars June 9 1 885 

